Diseased meat in our shops!

MUTARE City Council’s Health Department has raided 29 butcheries and recovered nearly four tonnes of uninspected meat, amid reports that carcasses of cattle attacked by the January disease, foot-and-mouth, anthrax, anaplasmosis, heart water and theileriosis, had found their way on to the market.

The Manica Post understands that the blitz, which is being conducted in conjunction with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP)’s AntiStock Theft Unit, under “Operation Nyama Yabvepi”, is meant to flush out unscrupulous butcheries that were reportedly buying diseased cattle from surrounding farming communities.

Butcheries that were found with uninspected meat were fined $500 each.

So far, fines amounting to $4 900 have since been collected by the police.

The offenders were also ordered to pay amounts equivalent to 10 percent of the value of the meat recovered from them to cover the costs of burning it.

In Sakubva, Madziro Butchery, represented by Mr Leon Madziro; Sakubva Cash Butchery, owned by Mr Gibson Zimunya; Time Butchery, operated by Mr Gift Mauchaza; Mutendazvose Butchery, run by Mr Tendai Rice; Zvirimugwara Butchery, represented by one Joram; and Saurombe Butchery, run by Mr Obert Chindudzo; were all found selling uninspected meat, which was subsequently confiscated.

Omega Butchery, situated along Mutare’s Herbert Chitepo Street and represented by one Jasi, Zvapano Butchery in Chikanga 2, run by Mr Shepherd Mukawirapamwe, as well as Dangamvura Butchery operated by Ms Eugen Marange and Mr Tauya Fore were also penalised. Contacted for comment, Mr Madziro said

From Page 1 he had sourced the meat from Wengezi, although he denied selling diseased meat. However, he admitted that he was selling uninspected meat in violation of the country’s regulations.

“When the health officials came to my butchery, they ran some tests and found out that the meat I was selling was not infected. However, it had not been inspected and therefore had no stamps,” he said.

Mutare City Council spokesperson Mr Spren Mutiwi said the raids were carried out in Sakubva, Chikanga and the city centre.

“We are implementing the blitz in line with the food hygiene by-laws. All those who were found with uninspected meat paid a fine of $500 to the ZRP.”

He advised residents to be on the look-out for suspiciously cheap meat which, in most cases, would have been acquired clandestinely.

“Consumers should request to see roller marks that show that the meat has been inspected. They should also check the general state of the meat. The quality of professionally slaughtered meat is different from that prepared under trees,” he said.

Investigations carried out by The Manica Post early this week revealed that farmers from hard hit areas in Mutasa, Makoni, Mutare and Buhera districts are helplessly watching their cattle as they succumb to the aforementioned diseases.

Some of them are selling the beasts for as little as US$60 each.

This has seen the price of beef plummeting in some of the dubious meat shops across the province.

On the formal market, meat grades in the choice category are being sold at an average price of $130 per kilogramme, but meat of the same quality is suspiciously being sold for around $50 per kilogramme or US$1 in some shops.

The cheap beef is popular with some backyard restaurants that are using it in their relatively cheaper meals to reap huge profits.

Health officials are concerned with the adverse public health consequences of consuming diseased meat.

Manicaland’s Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) said small-scale farmers are putting public health at risk by selling diseased livestock.

He said the farmers are taking their time in reporting the cattle diseases.

DVS Manicaland epidemiologist Dr Innocent Chabanga said most farmers are not reporting cases of infected livestock, especially cattle, to the department.

“People try not to report these cases to DVS because they do not want the carcasses burnt. They try to salvage something by selling the carcasses, which are not suitable for human consumption,” said Dr Chabanga.

He said the DVS conducts antemoterm and post-mortem inspections through registered abattoirs to ensure that diseased meat does not enter the human food chain.

However, according to DVS, some people may have found a way of evading these inspections.

During the Zimbabwe Dairy Farmers’ Association meeting held at Mutare Club on Monday, Dr Chabanga also said farmers are opting to treat their own cattle, which has seen some of them either under-dosing or over-dosing the animals.

“We have noticed that most of these farmers have all sorts of antibiotics and drugs that they use to cure cattle. If such animals are consumed before the drug withdrawal period, antibiotic residues will be consumed by people. This will give rise to anti-microbial drug resistance.

“Some cattle are dying due to this. Unfortunately, unregistered butcheries and unscrupulous traders are targeting affected farmers and this is some of the meat that is finding its way to the kitchens of unsuspecting consumers,” said Dr Chabanga.

Dr Chabanga added that anaplasmosis is the most common disease in Manicaland, followed by heart water and theileriosis.